Case Number 22130

Troll Hunter

Every purchase you make through these Amazon links supports DVD Verdict's reviewing efforts. Thank you!

All Rise...

Contrary to popular belief, Judge Patrick Naugle does not live under a bridge.

The Charge

You'll believe it when you see it.

Opening Statement

So, you saw Best Worst Movie which
in turn made you seek out a Saturday night double feature of Troll and Troll 2. You're mildly fulfilled but you
want more. Where do you turn? Who can your trust? Then you hear about this
little overseas movie called Troll Hunter, which sounds exactly
like the kind of movie you need to sedate your appetite for all things troll. It
also sounds like one of my high school prom themes, but that's a different story
for another time. Well, here is your chance, because Troll Hunter is now
on DVD care of Magnolia Home Entertainment.

Facts of the Case

Trolls do exist. This is what some college kids find out when they
attempt to track down and expose a supposed bear poacher named Hans (Otto
Jespersen). Interviewer Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), sound engineer Johanna
(Johanna Mørck), and cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) all think they're
going to break the story of a lifetime when they bang on a dirty, dilapidated
trailer owned by the mysterious Hans. What they find out is that the grizzled,
trailer driving hunter is not a bear poacher but a troll tracker for the TSS
(Troll Security Service). Hans job is to eliminate any trolls that wander past
their boundaries. Hans reluctantly agrees to let the children to film him as he
runs his rounds…which may be the biggest mistake the three naïve
students will ever make!

The Evidence

Troll Hunter owes a great debt to The Blair Witch Project, a movie that
we really only needed one of, but here is essentially that same format with a
different monster. Instead of witches we get trolls. You could say I'm giving
away a big spoiler but the name of the movie isTroll Hunter, so
there you go. Figuring out if you think Troll Hunter is for you is a
fairly simple equation. The nuts and bolts of the movie include a) people, b)
hunting, and c) trolls; if that combination of words doesn't pique your interest
then you have seriously stumbled across the wrong movie review.

The movie's most interesting aspect is the fact that it takes a Norwegian
folktale and spins it on its edge. Troll Hunter tells viewers that trolls
do exist but not in the way we think they would. Yes, they look ugly and drool
and are altogether terrifying. These trolls, however, are more or less the
equivalent of retarded grizzly bears: they eat, procreate and attack. There
isn't much else to them. There is no whimsy to their actions or amusing
anecdotes to share; they won't try to tell you stories or lull you into a false
sense of security with a Grimm fairy tale. Trolls are just huge mammals that get
in the way. I liked the idea that the trolls couldn't produce enough vitamin D,
and thusly could be killed by a high powered UV ray (which is why they don't
venture out in the daytime). Small details like that certainly give the film
more depth than most movies of this ilk.

The trolls themselves look excellent, although the format often obscures
them (which in turn shines a light on the low budget limitations). Often times
the trolls are seen in the night or behind trees, so only around 10% of the
movie allows you to really get a good look at the CGI created monstrosities.
It's a shame because this idea could make a great standard feature film (and
Hollywood agrees—Troll Hunter has already been picked up to be
remade here in the United States). The actors here all do what is required of
them, usually running, screaming and explaining various tidbits about the
trolls. It's a thankless job compared to the enormity and scope of the titular
beasts.

The largest stumbling block to my enjoyment of this film was the
'mockumentary' genre it inhabits. As noted, I've already grown tired of the
Blair Witch style that permeates so many horror movies, which reached its
valley with the sorely disappointing George A. Romero "living dead"
sequel Diary of the Dead. After about
a half hour of Troll Hunter I actually started to feel slightly ill and
realized it was due to all the herky-jerky camera work being employed; it's a
gimmick that gets old quite fast. Hopefully this style of filmmaking is finally
on the wane.

Otherwise, this has a lot of things going for it and should please the niche
audience it was created for. Much like 2011's dark Santa Claus tale Rare
Exports, Troll Hunter is retrofitted for a small, discerning group of
moviegoers. You know who you are.

A note about my review: I made the decision to watch the film with an
English track and without the subtitles for the sole reason that I didn't want
to miss any of the visuals on screen. While I'm happy I did this, it did take
something away from the overall experience of the film and the performances
contained therein.

Troll Hunter is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The
transfer works for the film but is hardly going to win awards for clarity. This
is a rough, documentary style shoot and that is reflected by low lighting, poor
visuals and dark moments. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround in Norwegian and has some nice dynamic range to it when the trolls
appear. Otherwise, it's a rather front heavy mix. Also included on this disc are
English and Spanish subtitles as well as a dubbed English 5.1 mix.

Troll Hunter sports a few decent extra features including around four
minutes of deleted scenes, an improve/blooper reel, a few extended scenes, a
breakdown of the visual effects (with secondary sections for the different kinds
of trolls in the movie), a standard behind-the-scenes EPK short, some photo
galleries, an HDNet featurette ("A Look at the Troll Hunter"), and
some previews for other Magnolia movies.

Closing Statement

Troll Hunter is entertaining but problematic, most notably when it
comes to the POV handheld camera theme. I'd like to see this movie made in a
normal format without feeling like I may throw up due to motion sickness.
Magnolia's work on the disc is good and should please all you trollheads out
there.

The Verdict

Troll Hunter scores points for originality but looses a good chunk of
good will because of the format.